Textus Roffensis
Encyclopedia
The Textus Roffensis, or in full, Textus de Ecclesia Roffensi per Ernulphum episcopum ("The Book of the Church of Rochester through Bishop Ernulf"), refers to a manuscript in which two originally separate manuscripts written about the same time, between 1122 and 1124, are bound together. It is catalogued as Rochester Cathedral Library, MS A.3.5 and is currently held in the Kent County Archives, Maidstone.
The two books were brought together around 1300. It is thought they were written by a single scribe.
The first part collects the Anglo-Saxon
laws from the Law of Æthelberht
, attributed to King Æthelberht of Kent (c. 560–616), to the coronation charter of Henry I
in 1100. The second part is the oldest of the Rochester Cathedral
registers.
Over the centuries the combined book has had been recovered on several occasions, and has been in the custody of various places; it is now held at the Medway
Studies Centre in Rochester, Kent.
The book has survived several theft attempts and was even submerged in the River Medway for several hours after the ship transporting it back to Rochester sank. The water damage can be seen on a number of the pages.
The two books were brought together around 1300. It is thought they were written by a single scribe.
The first part collects the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
laws from the Law of Æthelberht
Law of Æthelberht
The Law of Æthelberht is a set of legal provisions written in Old English, probably dating to the early 7th century. It originates in the kingdom of Kent, and is the first Germanic-language law code...
, attributed to King Æthelberht of Kent (c. 560–616), to the coronation charter of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
in 1100. The second part is the oldest of the Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Norman church in Rochester, Kent. The bishopric is second oldest in England after Canterbury...
registers.
Over the centuries the combined book has had been recovered on several occasions, and has been in the custody of various places; it is now held at the Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
Studies Centre in Rochester, Kent.
The book has survived several theft attempts and was even submerged in the River Medway for several hours after the ship transporting it back to Rochester sank. The water damage can be seen on a number of the pages.
Further reading
- Richards, Mary P. Texts and Their Traditions in the Medieval Library Rochester Cathedral Priory. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988.
- Sawyer, Peter. Early English Manuscripts in Facsimile, vol. VII: Textus Roffensis, Part I. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde and Bagger, 1957.
- Sawyer, Peter. Early English Manuscripts in Facsimile, vol. XI: Textus Roffensis, Part II. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde and Bagger, 1962.